Buying presents for friends can often seem like a stressful experience. That is because nobody wants to waste their money on something the other person isn’t going to use. With that in mind, it doesn’t make sense to purchase clothing or similar items because the girl in question might not like the style. So, it’s sensible to think outside of the box and leave no stone unturned when it comes to identifying the best gifts. For anyone with interest in beauty, the ideas below should come in handy. Consider them the next time a friend reachers their birthday.

Luxurious makeup brands

Most ladies have at least some upmarket makeup at home that they keep for special occasions. However, almost every girl would love to have more of those products. Considering that, friends should think about conducting some research into the most innovative items from designer brands. Make It British, and other sites claim many homegrown companies are producing excellent results. Sure, it most cost around £100 or more to get a first-class eyeliner or blusher, but it’s worth the expense. The friend is going to love the gesture, and they’ll make good use of the present. So, that solves virtually all the problems outlined in the introduction.

Teeth whitening sessions

Sometimes it’s best to opt for treatments rather than physical gifts. That is an excellent idea if the individual is known for being rather picky. As professionals like those at Natural Smiles tell their clients, teeth whitening procedures are quick and easy. There is no pain involved, and the results are instantaneous. That means the girl will walk into the dentists with stained teeth and leave half an hour later looking much better. The benefits of whitening treatments include:

Promoting a youthful look

Removing those unsightly stains

Improving oral health and confidence

Pedicures and manicures

Of course, it’s important to note that some people have perfect teeth already. That is because they spent a lot of time with the dentist while they were young. In those instances, friends should attempt to find a more suitable treatment. It’s hard to go wrong with manicures and pedicures, and that’s why they have become a top choice for many people. The best thing about that idea is that lots of the person’s friends can also enjoy the experience. So, it’s possible to turn the activity into a social event before a special meal or a big night out. Just be sure to read some online reviews when it comes to choosing the establishment because some technicians are better than others.

Now readers have some fantastic gift ideas for their friends, nothing should get in the way of ensuring they have an amazing birthday, anniversary, or special occasion. Also, those ideas help to remove personal tastes from the equation, and that’s always a sensible thing. People who buy clothing and other fashion accessories for their friends are taking a massive risk. So, if anyone decides to do that, they should make sure they keep the receipt safe because there is a reasonable chance the individual will want to take the item back to the store.

If you’re one of those people who either hate working out in the conventional way altogether, or who frequently gets bored of the same old routine sweating it out at the gym, so you end up going long periods without doing very much exercise at all, would it surprise you to know that it is possible to exercise without working out?

Exercise is all about being active, moving your body and burning calories. You don’t have to spend an hour a day on the elliptical or lift weights four times a week to do that if you don’t want to. Here are just some of the ways you can keep fit without working out:

Dancing

If you like to dance, it doesn’t feel like a workout at all, even though, really it is. You can burn upwards of 445 calories or hour dancing even if you’re doing it home alone. Not only that, but regulars will tell you that a good Zumba dance workout will boost your mood. So, dancing, unlike the kinds of exercise you force yourself to do in the gym, could actually leave you feeling a whole lot better as you burn those calories.

Walking or Hiking

Walking or hiking in the countryside, or even the local park, especially done with friends, family or your pet dog, can be an extremely enjoyable experience. You get to feel the wind in your hair, the sun on your face and breathe in fresh air as you take in the many beautiful sights of your local area. All of this takes your mind off the fact that you are actually being active, increasing your fitness levels and burning calories (as many as 440 per hour if hiking).

If you or any of your friends and family members have kids, you can get a lot of exercise in just by running around after them in the garden or at the local park. They’ll get you involved in impromptu games of football, ask you to jump rope and make you chase them in a fun game of hide and seek, and you won’t even realise that what you’re doing could be construed as exercise.

Geocaching

Geocaching is a bit of a niche hobby, but if it’s the kind of thing that sounds interesting to you, it’s an easy way to get some exercise in while having a good time, Basically, you use your phone’s GPS to track down various ‘treasures’ and leave your own for the next person. These ‘treasures’ can be hidden anywhere from a local park to the top of a nearby mountain, so you’ll definitely have to do some serious moving to find them.

Okay, so standing isn’t exactly exercising in the traditional sense, but if you switch your sitting desk for a standing desk, you will certainly burn more calories and tone up your leg muscles. What’s more, since you’ll be working, you won’t even notice the extra effort.

Exercising and working out, as you can see, don’t have to be one and the same. They key to staying fit throughout your life is to find a way of burning calories that works for you.

If you weren't already aware, Sunderland Restaurant Week is soon approaching. Between the 9th and 17th September restaurants, bars and cafes within Sunderland will be offering special offers for you to try them out. Whether it means you trying somewhere you've never been before or head to the place you love to dine, you can't miss out on some of the fab offers. I mean 2 courses for £10, or 3 for £15, where else are you going to experience prices like that?

It even leaves you some spare change for a cheeky prosecco!

In the run up to Restaurant Week I've had the chance to check out a couple of different places on the list, and as always, I was very impressed. I mean I'm not exactly unfamiliar with Sunderland Restaurant Week, this will be the 3rd time I've attended and the 3rd time I've left stuffed full and extremely happy!

So first up I visited the Prosecco Bar, ever heard of the funky Indian? Well then you know where the prosecco bar is. Since last Restaurant Week they have had abit of a change round as the Prosecco Bar used to be upstairs and the funky Indian downstairs, now it's the other way round. I visited the funky Indian at the beginning of the year, and it's quite a unique restaurant as they serve tapas style Indian dishes which is a nice change to your normal sauce, rice and naan. On entering the prosecco lounge I immediately felt like it was somewhere I would love to return. The set up was very modern and stylish, a rather dark area but lots of comfy seats to sit back and relax in while you sip on some great quality prosecco. They currently serve up a range of different Scavi & Ray proseccos, ive heard the rose version is lovely.

Next we headed to Asiana, if anyone read my blogpost on the last Restaurant Week you will know I wasn't a fan of Thai Royale so I did have my fears when I heard we were going to an Asian restaurant. Luckily for me Asiana was on a completely different level, the restaurant was immaculate and I couldnt help but notice how clean it looked, the decor made it look very modern. Enough of how it looked, you want to know about the food. As we were visiting Asiana for starters we were served up a plate of Hors d'oeuvre, which I thought was a great idea as it gave us chance to try lots of different items. There were crispy duck spring rolls, ribs, chicken satays, crispy seaweed, and crispy prawns, to be fair these are all items I would happily order from a Chinese. Everyone knows Chinese isn't the healthiest cuisine, however not one item tasted over oily, you know like most take aways do. I almost felt like I wasn't eating unhealthy food. I also felt like this was a great way for us to try different options, it's quite hard to judge a restaurant if you only tried one dish. I would definitely love to return and try a full meal sometime soon.

For main course we headed to the newly opened Tipi at Port of Call, this will have been my 3rd trip to Port of Call! The Tipi is such a great idea, just a completely different eating experience. It's abit of a shame it's coming into autumn because you could definitely feel the chill, however I'm sure it wouldn't be that bad when the place is full. Port of call served us platters of food so we could again try different dishes on the menu. There was a large range of different dishes, beef burgers, buttermilk chicken burgers, ribs, chicken wings, beef brisket, flatbreads and hot dogs, it was quite overwhelming and due to us having three courses over the evening I didn't get chance to try everything. So I thought I would tell you the items I enjoyed, the buttermilk chicken burger was lovely, very well matched with a seeet brioche bun and I also really enjoyed the pulled pork flatbread. The items I would avoid would be the mac and cheese, as I felt it was very bland and could have done with some seasoning, and the chicken wings simply because they were far too hot for my taste buds. Other than that it's a great Restaurant to meet with friends, and a very different eating experience in the Tipi.

For pudding we headed to Serendipity Tea & Trickets, and just WOW!! What a lovely, quirky, and very homely cafe! Everyone's faces lit up when we entered the cafe, from bunting to vintage crockery, it had it all. And never have I seen a couple so passionate about their business. They even went to the effort of opening late for us to visit. This is the perfect venue for tea and cake with the family, afternoon tea with your friends or if your planning an event why not book a table. There was a stunning table set up ready for a baby shower the next day, the effort put into the display was spectacular. The owners had prepared lots of homemade cakes, cheesecakes, brownies and pies, for me it had to be a piece of Rocky Road! Super chocolately stuffed full of marshmallows and shortbread pieces, is there a better partner for a hot cup of coffee?? I think not. Im already planning to take my Gran for an afternoon brew and cake.

Travelling to Sunderland Restaurant Week? Book a Station Taxi and use code RWSund17 for £5 off!!